by G. M. Berrow
Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged a look. Rarity’s idea of a crisis changed on a moment-by-moment basis.
“Just relax,” Twilight assured. “We’ll find her in no time.”
“You’re right.” Rarity nodded and continued to scan the platform. “Maybe H.O.O.F. gave her a picture of me.” Besides, Rarity figured, what sort of fashion pony in the know hadn’t heard of her lately? She was the type of pony everypony should know. Especially a pony who was part of the H.O.O.F. program.
At the very least, Sweetmint must have heard of the Carousel Boutique. It was practically synonymous with luxury these days. The society pages of the local newspapers were littered with pictures of elite ponies wearing Rarity’s fashions. She’d received orders from all over, which meant that her designs were definitely making appearances in all the elite social circles across Equestria.
“Whoa, who’s that?” Spike said, eyes growing wide. He pointed his little dragon claw in the direction of a young Unicorn. She had a white coat, light green mane and tail, and a cutie mark of three light blue, heart-shaped gems. She wore a dark green, rhinestone-studded scarf that was expertly draped around her pretty neck. She was turning her head left to right, clearly looking for somepony in particular. She wore the “hopelessly lost” look well.
It had to be her.
CHAPTER 4
City Pony
“That’s her!” exclaimed Rarity as she pranced off toward the newcomer. The others followed her lead.
“Isn’t she a student?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Where are her books?”
“Maybe she packed them.” Fluttershy shrugged. The pony did have several suitcases stacked high next to her.
“You must be Sweetmint from Manehattan,” said Rarity, smiling as she approached the lost soul. “Welcome to Ponyville!”
“Yes!” The Unicorn breathed a sigh of relief, then squealed, “That’s me!” She was practically exploding with excitement upon seeing her mentor. “Oh, Rarity! Wow! It’s, like… really you!” Her big golden eyes widened. “But how did you know what I looked like?” Sweetmint’s face was that of a pony who had just seen somepony like Sapphire Shores or Trenderhoof trot by—filled with complete adoration and starstruck awe. Rarity liked that about her.
“Oh, I didn’t.” Rarity walked around the new pony, sizing her up. “But I spied your utterly fabulous look and thought: Only a true fashionista like myself would know that forest green is the color of the moment! Tell me—is the scarf one of your own designs?” This mentor thing was going even better than she anticipated. Rarity could already tell that Sweetmint was a pony after her own heart. “Oh, it’s such an absolute pleasure to meet you, darling.”
Sweetmint’s sleek, pale green mane swayed gently from side to side as she shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe it’s actually you! I’m such a big fan of your work. You, like… totally look even more amazing in pony than you do in pictures. I got this one out of Mare Éclair.” She riffled through her saddlebag, procured a rumpled magazine clipping, and held it out for everypony to see. It was a photo of Rarity from Princess Cadance and Shining Armor’s royal wedding, along with a feature article about her—the pony who had designed the bridle gown. A few more clippings fell to the ground, and Sweetmint scrambled to pick them up.
“That little blurb? Stop, darling!” Rarity flipped her mane and laughed. “No, no, please continue if you must, Sweetmint.”
“Actually, my name is Charity,” the Unicorn admitted. At this, her eyes began to dart around nervously. “I, uh… don’t know why H.O.O.F. put my, uh… my nickname down. Just, um, Charity.”
“Oh, well, all right, then, Charity,” said Rarity, raising a suspicious eyebrow. She wasn’t sure why the sudden name switch bothered her. Maybe she just felt a little silly to have been calling her the wrong thing this entire time. Yes, that was it.
Pinkie Pie popped her head in between them and stage-whispered, “Wooooo, that’s super-duper spooky-tastical. Your names are almost… the same name.”
“Rarity and Charity,” Applejack marveled. “Well, what d’ya know?”
Fluttershy smiled. “That’s nice.”
“Interesting…” Rainbow Dash was unconvinced. She crossed her arms and looked Charity up and down. “Your name’s really Charity?”
“Mmmhmm,” Charity replied, looking at the other ponies curiously. “What’s yours?”
Rarity put her hoof to her forehead. “Silly me! I didn’t even introduce you.” Rarity pointed at the group. “This is Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and… her Grand Royal Majesty Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Rarity put a flourish on the last part. She was very proud of being best friends with royalty—and with the rest of them, too, of course. “My very best friends in the whole world.”
“Rarity’s friends! Princess!” Charity bowed her head at the ponies. “What an honor! I still can’t believe I’m here with Rarity and now I’m hanging out with all of you, too.” She looked to each of them with a huge smile. “This is so unreal. In a good way.”
“Shall we?” Rarity motioned her hoof toward the exit.
Charity started to pick up her things, but Rarity stopped her. “Spike will take care of your luggage.”
“Wow, thanks!” Charity beamed. Her big eyes sparkled, framed by dark eyelashes. Rarity wondered if they were natural or if the young pony had to use false ones like she did.
“Spiiiike?” Rarity singsonged again. She wasn’t accustomed to being ignored, especially by her biggest fan. “The luggage, please?”
But Spike didn’t respond in his usual prompt manner. He just stood still. The baby dragon was completely mesmerized. The ponies had only ever seen him making those heart-shaped eyes toward one other pony before—Rarity herself. The one pony he had had a not-so-secret crush on for basically forever.
“Don’t worry, Rarity,” said Twilight Sparkle, nudging past the distracted dragon. She trotted over to the stack of bags. “We’ll help. Right, girls?”
“Darn tootin’!” Applejack nodded and trotted over to pick up a large green case with yellow daisies patterned all over it. Pinkie Pie bounced after her and shouted, “I’ll take the pink one!”
“No, wait!” shouted Spike, snapping out of his daze. “I’ll take one!” He scrambled to grab the biggest case—a brown one with stickers all over it from different places in Equestria. He made a big show of it.
Charity giggled. “Thank you, sir.”
“At your service, miss.” Spike bowed. “It’s my pleasure.”
Charity’s expression turned to one of concern. She lowered her voice and whispered to Rarity, “I sure hope everypony likes me.”
“Don’t worry, dear,” Rarity assured the new girl. She trotted to her side, put a hoof around her, and started to lead her out of the station. “If you’re anything like me, we’ll all become fast friends!”
“But I can guarantee I’ll be the fastest!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she shot off into the distance, leaving a bright rainbow trailing behind her.
Charity looked to Rarity in awe. “This is all so brilliant!”
“If you’re impressed already”—Rarity flipped her mane—“just wait ’til you see my boutique.”
CHAPTER 5
Tea for Two
Fweeeee! The teakettle whistled and a gust of steam shot out. Rarity used her horn to magic her prettiest tea set out of the cupboard. The cups were white with gold-plated rims and handles, and the saucers were plum colored and encrusted with rare violet gemstones. She only used the set on very special occasions. Either when she was stuck on a project and needed a little pick-me-up, or when she had a guest over who was worthy of the very best. As it happened, Charity was a very special guest at the Carousel Boutique. She deserved special treatment.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have somepony around who appreciates style just as much as I do,” Rarity said, pouring the hot water from the gilded teapot. Steam rose from the cup into delicious, fragrant swirls. It
was lavender-and-Ceylon-flavored tea—Rarity’s favorite. It would go perfectly with the Bluedazzle berry tart that she had baked earlier.
“Ponyville is so quaint and adorable, but it doesn’t have much of a fashion scene, you know? But of course, I do love it here even if it’s no Manehattan. I could never be too far away from my friends. Are you originally from the city?”
“I’m actually from Fillydelphia! But I also studied abroad in Mare-is, Prance, last summer,” Charity explained. “That was super cool.”
“How divine!” Rarity gasped. “I would give anything to visit Prance! Are you a fan of Coco Cheval, too?”
“She’s only my idol!” Charity squealed, standing up. “Other than you, Rarity.”
“Now you’re just flattering me.” Rarity blushed. “Keep doing it if you must.” Even though she’d only spent a few hours with Charity, it was safe to say that she would never tire of her compliments.
As Rarity continued preparing the tea, Charity looked around the boutique with fascination. “Wow! Now, this is a real designer’s workshop. Not like mine back in my apartment in the city.” The room was littered with half-unrolled bolts of fabric, pieces of patterns that had yet to be pinned, and glittery adornments of every shape and size. Straight pins stuck out of various cushions, and velvet ribbon clippings sat in neat piles underneath the sewing machine. The model ponnequins were outfitted in matching green dresses that were clearly some sort of work in progress. The forest green fabric was expertly draped and pinned but still far from completion.
“I told you the boutique was fabulous!” Rarity giggled.
“It is,” Charity said dreamily. “I wish I owned one just like it.”
It was so great to see that there were ponies just like Rarity—ambitious and stylish. “Maybe someday you will!”
“A girl can dream.” Charity skipped over to the half-clothed ponnequins. “Oh my giddy! What are these? The fabric is totally gorge! Very John Gallopiano. His spring line was awesome, right?” It was so lovely to talk to another pony about the world of fashion. Charity seemed to know her stuff.
“Those little things? They’re hardly comparable to Gallopiano!” Rarity laughed. “They are a commission for the Ponyville Choir’s Sweet Songs of Summer concert. But I’m afraid I absolutely detest what I’ve created thus far. If I had more time, I’d scrap these and start over completely.” Rarity looked at the ponnequins wistfully. “Alas, every artist must go through their process.”
“What’s your process like?” The eager student leaned in closer. “Do you make pattern schematics or just raw sketches?”
“I do a little of everything. My process is always undergoing revisions.” Part of Rarity’s current process was denial. She had been doing a great job of ignoring the fact that she was on a deadline to finish the dresses. Charity’s arrival had served as a wonderful distraction, but the Ponyville concert was next week! She really needed to finish sewing them. It would be terrible to disappoint Golden Harvest and the other singers who had practiced so hard.
Rarity had to be very careful these days after her disaster with Hoity Toity. The famous fashion critic had come to Ponyville to see the designs she’d created for her friends to wear to the Grand Galloping Gala, but they were all tragically wrong. She’d taken too much advice from her clients, and the dresses had ended up as over-accessorized messes.
Now the choir dresses were in a similarly tragic state. They just looked like a mess of green satin with some ribbons hastily added as an afterthought. Not Carousel Boutique worthy at all. But she’d have plenty of time to sort them out later. Right now, her main priority was the new apprentice.
“Enough about me.” Rarity sipped her tea. “I want to hear more about you, darling.” She used her magic to dish up a piece of tart for her guest and took the seat across from her. “Bluedazzle berry tart?”
“Delish!” Charity took a teensy-weensy bite of her piece. “I just love Bluedazzle berries.” Rarity looked down at the tart on Charity’s plate. She had barely eaten a single berry. That was odd.
Charity pushed her plate away. “So what do you want to know about me?”
“Everything.” Rarity leaned forward. “Your favorite new trends, the best piece you’ve ever made, what products you use on your beautiful mint mane—you know, the usual important topics.” Rarity looked down at the H.O.O.F. program’s brochure. Rarity wasn’t quite Rainbow Dash in the competitiveness department, but she did love a good challenge now and then. “But first, you can start by telling me about this fabulous H.O.O.F. fashion competition.”
“The competition?” Charity clammed up. She took a timid sip of her tea. “The competition is where all the apprentices present their own line—the one they worked on with their mentors. The winner gets to display their designs in the fall windows at Sack’s and possibly even gets to be in Mare Éclair.”
“Are you serious?!” Rarity stood up and put her hooves out on the table. Her eyes looked huge. “WE. MUST. WIN.”
Sack’s was one of the biggest, most luxurious department stores in Manehattan. It got tons of hoof traffic from all the city ponies and tourists who visited just to see the elaborate window displays. It would be unbelievable exposure for a budding designer like Charity. Or even a seasoned one like Rarity at that. Why, if she’d had the chance to display her designs there, she would be over the moon! And a magazine spread? Well, that would just be icing on the cupcake.
“I’m getting the vibe that you’re not as thrilled about this idea as I am. Can I ask why, dear? It’s Sacks, for Celestia’s sake!”
“Because there’s totally no way I’ll ever win!” Charity explained. She turned her gaze out the window. “The other ponies in my program are so talented. I mean, I know that I’ll learn so much from you. But I don’t think I’ll ever measure up to them, even with your help.”
“That attitude will simply not do!” Rarity said as her face morphed into a frown. She stood up and began to use her magic to move the tea set to the sink and fill the sink with bubbles and suds. After a moment, she turned around theatrically and proclaimed, “Stick with me, Charity, and you’ll be in the spotlight in no time.”
“You really think so?” Charity asked, biting her lip. “You think I have a shot to be an incredible, amazing, famous designer like you?”
The expression of admiration Charity wore was intoxicating. It was like Rarity’s life was an outfit that lacked pizzazz and Charity was the long-sought-after accessory that completed it. She suddenly couldn’t wait to share her secrets of success with the young pony.
“Of course, darling.” Rarity smiled. “Just do exactly as I do.”
CHAPTER 6
The Perfect Accessory
“Why are you counting those ribbons?” Charity prodded. She was leaning in so close to Rarity that her mint-colored mane fell over Rarity’s shoulder and onto the ribbon basket itself. Rarity scooted away. Maybe Charity was used to riding crowded hubway trains in Manehattan. But here in Ponyville, she clearly needed to learn a thing or two about personal space.
“I’m just checking inventory,” Rarity said, standing up and backing farther away from Charity. “It’s very crucial to make sure you have enough supplies when you’re a designer in high demand.” Rarity had to admit to herself that she was starting to sound very wise, even though she was making it all up as she went along. “One has to be ready at the drop of a fabulous hat.”
“Drop of a fabulous hat,” Charity repeated, scribbling something down on her scroll. In the lead-up to Charity’s arrival, Rarity had been so busy thinking about what a great mentor she was going to be, she hadn’t really made much of a plan for how exactly to do it. But so far, her strategy of looking as busy and important as possible was working.
For the past few days, Rarity fussed with things around the boutique, standing in attractive poses and making vague statements. Now and then, she would trot over to her stash of fabrics or her order ledger and go, “Hmmm, yes, yes… no!” and then pretend
to scribble something down on a scroll. It was very convincing.
“Is there anything you need me to do?” Charity looked around anxiously. She trotted over to one of the choir dresses and started to take it off the dress form. “I could work on this for you. Maybe alter the hem and bring the sleeves up a bit? About two inches should do it, I think.” Charity held the dress up to inspect it closer.
“NO!” Rarity shouted. “Get your hooves off!”
Charity dropped the gown in shock. “Sorry, I…”
“No, I’m sorry, darling.” Rarity laughed nervously. She trotted over to pick up the garment, blushing. She was a little embarrassed at her outburst. “I’m just very protective of my work. You understand, right?”
“Of course,” Charity nodded. “I never let any of my classmates touch my work. It’s totally just another way that you and I are the same!”
“Right. The same,” Rarity replied. She rearranged the dress and looked around for something acceptable for Charity to do with herself. A pile of fabric scraps lying in the corner was practically begging to be cleaned and organized. But, no, that wasn’t very much fun. A bin filled with completed order scrolls needed alphabetizing and filing, but that seemed dull, too. Suddenly, the H.O.O.F. brochure on the table caught Rarity’s eye again.
“Maybe we should try to start working on your fashion line for the competition!” Rarity exclaimed with delight. She loved starting new projects. It was finishing them that was actually the hard part. “It’s perfect.”
“Now?” Charity replied. Her eyes darted around. “But I—”
“Ah, ahh, ahhh,” Rarity singsonged. “No time like the present to make today a beautiful gift.” A little nagging voice in the back of Rarity’s mind (that sounded a lot like Sweetie Belle) told her she should follow her own advice and put her muzzle to the grindstone with the choir dresses. But she was supposed to help Charity, she told herself. It was Rarity’s duty as a H.O.O.F. mentor.
